Science- New York City is now offering free testing to all New Yorkers.
- There are over 150 testing sites across the city.
- The testing is part of a larger contact-tracing initiative, the mayor's office said.
- The tests identify people who currently have COVID-19, and are different from antibody tests, which identify if you have previously been infected.
All New Yorkers can now get a
There are over 150
The lack of testing, and the subsequent inability to perform contact-tracing, at the start of the virus' spread in New York is seen as one of the reasons why the coronavirus spread quickly throughout the city and the surrounding area.
There have been over 209,000 COVID-19 cases in New York City and over 21,000 deaths.
The free tests are part of a larger contact-tracing initiative as new coronavirus cases per day in the city fall from their extreme highs earlier this year. New cases per day in the city have fallen to around 600 per day, down from as high as 6,000 per day in April.
The mayor's office said in a statement that over 1,700 contact tracers have been deployed across the city as of June 1.
"Widespread testing holds the key to reopening our city safely," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "After months of fighting, we are finally able to say that every New Yorker who needs a test will get one."
Contact-tracing has widely been seen as one of the most effective methods to contain the spread of the virus.
New York City is also offering hotel rooms for people who are unable to isolate themselves from others in their households. 1,200 rooms are currently available and the city aims to have 3,000 available by the end of the summer, the mayor's office said in a statement.
Healthcare workers can refer patients to the city for a room, or symptomatic people without a doctor can call the city's coronavirus hotline at 844-692-4692 to request a room through the program.